Reusable electrophotographic recording medium and method for producing the same, image forming method, and method for repeatedly using electrophotographic recording medium

Abstract

Disclosed is an electrophotographic recording medium that contains a support and an olefin-maleic anhydride copolymer, wherein the olefin-maleic anhydride copolymer exists at least near the surface of the electrophotographic recording medium on which an image is recorded, and the electrophotographic recording medium is reusable; and a method for producing an electrophotographic recording medium, an image forming method, a method for repeatedly using an electrophotographic recording medium, and a method for repeatedly using an electrophotographic recording medium.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to reusable electrophotographic recording media in which image forming materials can be removed or erased away from electrophotographic recording media, on which images being recorded, thereby the electrophotographic recording media can be regenerated and reused for recording images; methods for producing the electrophotographic recording media; image forming methods that utilize the electrophotographic recording media; and methods for repeatedly using the electrophotographic recording media by repeating the forming and erasing of images. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Recently, printers, analog copiers, and digital copiers on the base of electrophotographic system have widely spread and paper has been consumed concurrently in larger quantity. Paper utilized for the recording media is usually made from pulp derived from wood, thus volume consumption of paper leads to de...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0057] In the image forming method, when the image forming material, which contains a thermoplastic powder, contains one of thermoplastic polyester resins and styrene-acrylic resins, the fixing property and the erasing property of images undergo less variation under repeated forming and erasing of images; since physical properties such as viscoelasticity and softening temperature may be appropriate for forming and erasing of images, and proper adhesive strength may be afforded for the recording media of the present invention, thus proper fixing property and the erasing property of images may be attained.

[0058] In another aspect of the present invention, the reuse of recording media may be practically carried out with less environmental load owing to employing the reusable recording media of the present invention; and image forming materials on recording media may be removed by use of a simple unit for erasing image forming materials, since images may be erased by way of heating and transferring under a dry condition in terms of conventional electrophotographic image forming materials having a plasticity.

[0059] In addition, the reusable electrophotographic recording media of the present invention may make possible to remove the image forming materials on recording media without employing an image erasing promoter, therefore, jams or wrinkles of recording media may be effectively excluded from image forming processes.

[0060] When the method for repeatedly using an electrophotographic recording medium of the present invention comprises depositing an image forming material on the electrophotographic recording medium in accordance with an image pattern, contacting and pressing the image forming material with a heating member of 100° C. or higher, and fixing the image forming material to form an image on the electrophotographic recording medium, or when the image forming material comprises one of polyester resins and styrene-acrylic resins, since the image fixing property on recording media may be feasibly carried out on recording media and image forming materials on recording media may be removed with a simple unit for erasing image forming materials, the recording media may be effectively reused in a practical manner and with less environmental load.

[0061] In the method for repeatedly using an electrophotographic recording medium, the reuse of recording media may be practically carried out with less environmental load owing to employing the reusable recording media of the present invention; and image forming materials on recording media may be removed by use of a simple unit for erasing image forming materials since images may be erased by way of rubbing under a dry condition in terms of conventional electrophotographic image forming materials having a plasticity.

[0062] In addition, the reusable electrophotographic recording media of the present invention may make possible to remove the image forming materials on recording media without employing a liquid for promoting image erasing, therefore, jams or wrinkles of recording media may be effectively excluded from image forming processes.

Problems solved by technology

In addition to the configuration of supports, portions of repellent or affinitive for image forming materials derived from uneven quality of materials may refuse the olefin-maleic anhydride copolymer to be coated into a layer.

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